The present invention relates in its broadest sense to surveillance of clandestine activities, and more particularly to the desired viewing and recording of such activities by use of a camera concealed in a vehicle.
For reasons which are subject to considerable debate, commission of criminal acts in the United States, and certainly in other countries, seems to be continuously escalating. While it may be gainsaid that apprehending criminals and prevention of unlawful activities is best accomplished by an increase of police, it nevertheless remains an unfortunate fact of life that police numbers simply are not sufficient to apprehend criminals, let alone determine when criminal activity is "afoot". In attempts to ferret out criminal activity, police bureaus often station personnel in what are known as "stake-outs". A stake-out involves the use of police or detectives, hopefully concealed, who undertake surveillance to determine if criminal activity is taking place at a given location or is about to occur.
Typically, a stake-out may involve an officer or detective following suspected criminals or parking at a known location of criminal activity and observing events to determine if an arrest can be made. Certainly, criminals are able to observe law enforcement personnel who attempt to conduct surveillance while seated in a vehicle. Vehicles are often used because of their obvious mobility enabling law enforcement personnel to track or follow-up on criminal activity which may shift from one location to another. However, it is often the case that law enforcement personnel may be aware of the fact that criminal activity will occur in a certain location and wish to conduct surveillance of that location over an extended period of time without being detected. Of course, if law enforcement personnel must sit in the vehicle, they are constrained from doing other useful work and may be so incapacitated for hours on end.
There have been proposals in the prior art to conduct surveillance, in an undetected manner, from inside a vehicle such as a van. As set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,352, issued to the present applicant, a vehicle mounted surveillance apparatus is disclosed which contemplates mounting an extendible-retractable scope for selective shifting through a wall opening in a vehicle such as a van. More specifically, that patent utilizes a periscope which is mounted for shifting upwardly through an air vent positioned in the roof of the vehicle. An observer, located within the van, may use the scope, which incorporates opposed reflecting surfaces, to view activity occurring outside of the van. The top of the scope, or that portion which extends through the top vent of the van, includes a cover which provides at least minimal camouflage.
While the above type of surveillance apparatus has met with considerable success, it unfortunately may be the case that criminals have learned of the use of vans in surveillance and as such, are circumspect in their activity if a van-type vehicle is seen in a particular location.
Accordingly, with the disadvantages of known surveillance systems kept in mind, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel vehicle-camera system for use in effecting substantially undetected surveillance of a preselected target area. In its broadest terms, the present invention contemplates mounting a camera, with suitable recording gear, within a vehicle, such as an ordinary passenger car, so that the camera may record events taking place within the aforementioned target area.
To this end, the present invention is directed to a novel camera-mount assembly which enables positioning of a television or other type of recording camera in a concealed space of a passenger car, such as the trunk, for viewing through an opening provided in the rear fender wall of the trunk. The opening is camouflaged to simulate a side clearance light of a vehicle and the camera may be controlled by use of a conventional monitor or control unit which may be mounted in the glove box of the passenger car or positioned beneath the front seat.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a camera-mount assembly which enables a camera to be selectively panned and tilted so that activity over a given target area range may be perceived and recorded. That objective is achieved by providing a camera mount which includes a support for securely holding the camera mounted above a base. The base is supported on a surface such as the trunk of a vehicle, and is provided with a first power-driven means for operating a pivot means which selectively pivots the support, relative to the base, about a substantially vertical, first pivot axis thereby to pan the camera. A second power-driven means is operable for selectively pivoting the support about a second pivot means interconnecting the base and the support to provide tilting about a substantially horizontal, second pivot axis.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a camera-mount assembly, as described above, in which a compact, integral unit is provided for quick and easy mounting on the trunk floor of a vehicle. That objective is accomplished by providing a base which includes a pedestal slideably insertable within a sleeve-like mount, which mount is suitably configured for affixation to the trunk floor of the vehicle.
These and additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood after a consideration of the drawings and a review of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment.